Valentine’s Day Kit

To download resources for Valentine’s Day, click here

In 2010, the Bishops Commission for Pastoral Life launched the St Valentine’s Day initiative. We are delighted to offer you our 2013 edition which continues our ongoing desire to use the innate joyfulness of the feast of St Valentine to promote and affirm marriage as life-long romantic love.

In a culture that is increasingly intolerant of Christian values and beliefs, feasts that have captured the imagination of the secular community, like St Valentine’s Day, represent a unique opportunity for the Church. It is an opportunity for us to proclaim our beliefs in a way that is affirming and life-giving to deeply held values that are shared by many in the wider community. In doing so, we highlight the positive good that such values have and reinforce the need to protect them for the benefit of the whole community.

I invite you to use the resources enclosed to focus parish or school attention on the role of marriage on or around St Valentine’s Day.

Yours in Christ,
Bishop Eugene Hurley
Chairman, Bishops Commission for Pastoral Life

Project Compassion 2013

Media Release, 13 February, 2013

The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference (ACBC) today called on Australians to support Project Compassion, the annual Lenten appeal of Caritas Australia, the Catholic agency for international aid and development.

As one of Australia’s largest humanitarian fundraisers, Project Compassion brings together thousands of Australians in solidarity with the world’s poor and in 2013 its message of hope remains as powerful as ever.

Project Compassion 2013 is based on these inspiring words of Pope Benedict XVI’s encyclical Spe Salvi, 35:“We work towards a brighter and more humane world so as to open doors into the future.” Continue reading →

Cardinal George Pell

The Archbishop of Sydney, His Eminence Cardinal George Pell has made the following comments after hearing of the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI in Rome overnight.

Cardinal Pell said; “Pope Benedict has always loved the Church and worked to do what was best for her.

“His resignation came as a surprise to me.

“We thank him for his years of devoted leadership and service and his brilliant teaching.

“We will pray for him as he enters retirement.

“We must also pray for the Church as she prepares to choose the next successor of Saint Peter.”

Bishop Anthony Fisher OP

Bishop Anthony Fisher OP, the Bishop of Parramatta said that the resignation of Pope Benedict is a time of grieving but thanksgiving for Catholics.

“The resignation of Pope Benedict XVI on health grounds is a cause of great sadness for the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics, but also of great gratitude. This Pope has given his all,” Bishop Anthony Fisher said.

In Pope Benedict’s only visit to Australia in 2008 he began his time in the Diocese of Parramatta resting for three days in Kenthurst.

“Australians will remember him first, as the World Youth Day Pope, joining the young people of the world in Sydney in 2008. Here he engaged as a great teacher and spiritual grandfather to half a million young people. He also made his historic apology to victims of clergy child abuse while he was here in Sydney.” The NSW Bishops will repeat the apology to victims tomorrow in their Lenten Pastoral letter.

“Secondly, he is the Pope who canonised Australia’s first saint, St Mary MacKillop. He recognised in her a woman of great faith who helped to build this country through education for the poor. This great spiritual leader is a holy man himself and therefore readily recognises holiness in others.”

Bishop Anthony will be offering Mass 12:30pm today at the Parramatta Cathedral and has asked for other Catholics in the Diocese to join him in prayer for the Holy Father and the Church. Continue reading →

Pope Benedict XVI

Dear Brothers,

   I have convoked you to this Consistory, not only for the three canonizations, but also to communicate to you a decision of great importance for the life of the Church. After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry. I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not only with words and deeds, but no less with prayer and suffering. However, in today’s world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith, in order to govern the bark of Saint Peter and proclaim the Gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me. For this reason, and well aware of the seriousness of this act, with full freedom I declare that I renounce the ministry of Bishop of Rome, Successor of Saint Peter, entrusted to me by the Cardinals on 19 April 2005, in such a way, that as from 28 February 2013, at 20:00 hours, the See of Rome, the See of Saint Peter, will be vacant and a Conclave to elect the new Supreme Pontiff will have to be convoked by those whose competence it is.Dear Brothers, I thank you most sincerely for all the love and work with which you have supported me in my ministry and I ask pardon for all my defects. And now, let us entrust the Holy Church to the care of Our Supreme Pastor, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and implore his holy Mother Mary, so that she may assist the Cardinal Fathers with her maternal solicitude, in electing a new Supreme Pontiff. With regard to myself, I wish to also devotedly serve the Holy Church of God in the future through a life dedicated to prayer.

From the Vatican, 10 February 2013

BENEDICTUS PP XVI

Bishop Douglas Warren

The following information was provided on the Diocese of Bathurst’s website

Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Wilcannia-Forbes, Bishop Douglas Warren, died peacefully on 6^th February 2013, at the Southern Cross Village in Parkes.

Bishop Warren was ordained priest in 1942 in Rome, and celebrated 70 years of priesthood last December.

In 1964 he was consecrated Bishop and appointed an auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Wilcannia-Forbes. He was appointed Bishop of the Diocese in 1967. He resigned his office in 1994, but never lost interest in the needs of the people and priests of his Diocese.

After a period of failing health, Bishop Warren moved to the Southern Cross Village in Parkes in January 2012 and resided there until his death. May he rest in peace. Continue reading →

Bishop Michael Putney in his Townsville office

January 18th, 2013

In a message to the Diocese of Townsville, Bishop Michael has said that he is back home, feeling well enough and has been at work in the office today.

He will be meeting with a Medical Oncologist on Monday to sort out some kind of treatment plan.

Bishop Michael said “I have been overwhelmed, humbled by, and filled with gratitude for the support I have been given, and by the prayers that people are offering me.” Continue reading →

St Mary MacKillop image on the side of St Peter’s Basilica

Media Release,23 January, 2013

A formal decree approving St Mary of the Cross MacKillop as second patron of Australia has been received by the President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, Archbishop Denis Hart.

The Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments Cardinal Cañizares Llovera issued the decree on 15 January, 2013, in response to a request from the Archbishop Hart and the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference.

While many Catholics in Australia already consider St Mary MacKillop as a patroness in this country, the formal process was initiated by the Australian Bishops who expressed the wish of the people of Australia for a further official recognition of Australia’s first canonised saint. Continue reading →

Cover image: Lore

Cate Shortland is best known for her 2004 multi-award winning debut film, Somersault. Lore is a stark contrast to that earlier film. Written in German by Shortland, this Australian film was filmed entirely in Germany.

Lore tells the story of Hannelore, the oldest daughter of five children.  Her parents are Nazis and at the end of war, and with the death of Hitler, they instruct their children to journey from the Black Forest to their grandmother’s home Hamburg. They abandon them to this journey as a way of ensuring they will not be arrested by the Americans.

Jury chair Fr Richard Leonard SJ said, “The jury was impressed by the themes that this beautifully-made film holds together: a survival trek, loss of innocence and discernment.”

Morally what is most impressive is the relationship that develops between Lore and a young man, Thomas, who instructs the children to say he is their older brother. He says he is a Jew. He has the yellow Jewish star in his documents.  Everything in Lore’s moral view of the world is challenged by Thomas. This family’s children have been part of the Hitler youth. A previously despised Jew is now their saviour. Continue reading →

Francis Sullivan and Barry O’Keefe, Photo SMH

Media Release, 11 January, 2012

CEO of the Catholic Church’s newly-formed Truth, Justice and Healing Council Francis Sullivan spoke today on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into Child Sexual Abuse announced by Prime Minister Julia Gillard at 1pm

“We welcome the appointment of the six commissioners named by the Prime Minister today: Chief Commissioner Justice Peter McLelland; Bob Atkinson; Justice Jennifer Coate; Robert Fitzgerald; Professor Helen Milroy; and former Senator Andrew Murray.

 “Once again, we commit to fully cooperate and engage with the Royal Commission and its deliberations,” he said.

“At its heart, the Royal Commission needs to let the full truth come out and ensure that the dignity of those who have been damaged by these atrocities is preserved, that they are supported, and not subject to a retraumatising of their experiences.” Continue reading →